Infected
by Starkreactor
Summary: Carlos sacrifices himself so his friends can get away in the hellicopter, but what if that wasn't the end? No cussing, rated to be safe. I know everyone loves this, but we're on hold for now, sorry.
1. Rebirth

Hey guys, so I saw the Resident Evil movies recently, and didn't care for the nudity but loved the movies themselves. Especially Carlos. So, naturally, I was mad when they killed him. So I wrote this. I left it so it could end like it is, or it could continue, I haven't decided yet. Enjoy!

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Carlos drove deftly through the mass of zombies, his hands gripping the wheel to keep from shaking. This sucked worse than charging into them bare handed; at least then he had a chance of survival. He glanced down at the cluster of dynamite on the seat next to him, taking a deep breath as he focused back on the makeshift road ahead of him, his heart hammering against his sternum, adrenaline making him acutely alert, unaware of the affects of the virus for the moment. Maybe he would be allowed to die feeling remotely human.

Zombies hit the windshield like grotesquely giant insects, splattering gore as they went. He gritted his teeth, suddenly jerking the wheel to the left, throwing the gas truck onto its side, destroying monster after monster as the truck slid over their mangled bodies. He took a strange satisfaction in the feeling of the creatures hitting the truck like a tidal wave, glad that he was taking so many with him. No one would be able to say that Carlos Oliveira went down without one heck of a fight.

The tanker finally came to a grinding halt, and he fell back into the far side of the cab, fumbling for his lighter as ragged panting surrounded him. He'd be ticked if he couldn't light the smoke he had found before he went.

Crap. The hands were appearing, and now so were their ugly as heck heads. He'd have to light the explosives first………..

He took a long drag on the smoke, closing his eyes as he inhaled, feeling much calmer. It was already done. The bomb was lit, and he was taking who knew how many of these hell-spawn with him. His eyes opened to stare at the monsters crowding in through the window with a triumphant, lazy glare, breathing out the smoke in a satisfied sigh. It was over for him. He leaned back, nestling his muscled shoulders against the corner, the disease pumping though him or the one crowding around him no longer a concern. He closed his eyes again, drawing another breath of the drug before the fuse burned to the end.

He only heard the faintest boom, almost like he was watching it from afar. Then it was just dark. He wasn't even remotely in pain, and he hadn't felt the explosion. Well, at least death was pleasant. His awareness was minimal, like it was when you were just on the edge of sleep. He didn't care. He was laying face down in something soft and warm, and he was comfortable. He moved just the slightest bit, nestling deeper into whatever it was, but a sharp pain lanced through him.

Pain? That wasn't right.

For the first time he tried to open his eyes, and found that he could.

He sat up, slowly, trying to take in his surroundings. He was pinned under a sheet of metal, probably from the truck, and it was dark out, save for the strangely contrasting lights from the facility in front of him. How was he not dead? Or maybe he was.

He looked around, the sheet of metal still laying across his legs. Maybe his body was around here somewhere…….

Or maybe he was a zombie.

He looked down at himself, gasping suddenly as he saw a large piece of one of the truck's pipes sticking straight out of his chest. He marveled at it a second, not daring to move. Why wasn't he in more pain?

He traced a finger down his own sternum, stopping right were the pipe had penetrated it. The area was only slightly swollen, but that wasn't what bothered him.

He traced down the bone again, still amazed. There was no mistaking it; the pipe was straight through his heart. And it was not beating.

So how was he so alert?

Or alive for that matter.

And how was he not in about five million pieces?

Grasping the pipe with both hands, Carlos took a deep and painful breath, suddenly pulling.

It slid out much easier than it should have. He dropped the pipe, gasping again, looking down at his own chest in a kind of detached horror. There was a hole clean through him.

And it was _healing_.

The flesh closed in over the wound like it hadn't been there, and he felt the same strange sensation all through his chest where the pipe had been. Sort of a slimy, crawling feeling. He was too amazed to feel disgusted.

He pressed fingers gingerly to the spot, feeling the hard bone of his sternum as it solidified from its liquid healing state. The he felt a sharp contraction and he buckled over as his heart began to beat again.

After the first few pumps the pain faded and there was only the familiar feeling of his heartbeat in his chest.

What on earth had just happened?

Shoving the metal off of his legs, he stood, finding his clothing mostly undamaged. Apparently, and he had no idea how, he had been shielded from the blast enough that his flame-retardant pants and weapons had survived. So had most of his shirt.

Still marveling over how he had survived, he turned in a circle around him, finding that he was close to where the explosion had happened, and completely surrounded by zombies.

So why hadn't they attacked him?

Carlos inched forward, gazing at the nearest monster, one hand gripping the pistol on his leg, ready to draw. The creature just stared ahead, continuing its relentless journey towards the laboratory, in search of food.

One decaying foot ahead of the other.

Morbidly curious, Carlos walked blatantly in front of it, waving his warm, fleshy hand in front of its face. Something that would have normally been an absolutely un ignorable target.

The thing just waved at him with its arms absently, as if annoyed that he was in its way. It leaned into him, much like they did when they were attacking, but not in a forceful way. Its gore encrusted teeth snapped near his neck, not trying to bite him, more like it was trying to speak.

Carlos stood frozen, staring down at the rotting mess, trying to make sense of its behavior. It continued to walk against him, pawing weakly against his chest with its hands, trying to get him to move.

Numbly, he stepped aside, and the zombie let out a satisfied moan as it continued its march towards the most promising food source.

Carlos stumbled over to a nearby piece of twisted metal, watching the endless stream of undead as they tottered right by him, not seeing him at all.

So was he a zombie, or wasn't he?

He couldn't be. He had complete control of his body, didn't especially feel hungry for anything but a decent meal and a beer, and he was warm with a pulse.

On the other hand, he had survived an explosion, being stabbed straight through the heart, and the zombies completely ignored him.

What if-

No, that was impossible.

Or was it?

Alice had bonded with the T virus, maybe by some stroke of luck he had done the same.

But his luck was never that good. Why would he, out of billions of people, bond with the virus in a _good_ way _and_ have immunity from the zombies? Even Alice didn't have that.

But there was absolutely no other explanation.

He looked around again, trying to decide what to do next. The most profitable thing would be to try and find survivors, but his convoy was long gone, and so was anything useful to him. Unless he had lost the need for food and water too, he wouldn't survive more than a day in the desert with out supplies. Still, getting supplies would be much easier now that he seemed to have no enemies. Attacking him anyway. Now he would probably have to be on the run from the Umbrella Corporation. He would almost rather take the zombies. At least they were brainless and weaponless.

Not really knowing why, Carlos made his way towards the lab, walking in through the door that he had blasted open with the truck.

Alice was still here.

He stopped, wondering how he knew that. He could sense her. She was here, somewhere down in the bowls of the cursed place. Walking through the doors, he found the elevator shaft, taking his knives out and stabbing them into the side of the wall, walking down it with them, stab after stab. It was surprisingly easy to force the metal into the shaft walls. The T virus apparently had made him quite a bit stronger as well.

When he was half way down the shaft, he got an idea. What would happen if he just dropped? He had already survived two lethal situations, what was one more?

He looked down over his shoulder, feeling a surge of adrenaline coarse through him as he thought of letting go. Then he did.

He yanked the knives out of the wall, dropping fast, gaining momentum as he fell. Bracing, he hit the ground hard, rolling as the impact sent a wave of pain through all his joints. He rolled onto his back, gasping. It felt like he had broken his legs.

Soon the pain began to abate and he sat up, gingerly testing his flexibility. He was still slightly sore, but seemed to be healing already. Within another ten minutes he stood, staring down a ruined and dark hallway. It was smeared with blood and completely wrecked. He knew that it was pitch black, but he could still see; sort of a bluish tint to the wrecked forms that spanned out in front of him.

Still wondering what else he could do, he set off in a jog down the corridor, heading in the direction he determined Alice was in.

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Crappy? Great? Reviews are my favorite!!!! This is my first RE fic, so just know that. Also know that I have only seen each movie once. Gentle opinions and constructive criticism are welcome, but flames will be used to combat lickers.


	2. Reunited

Ok. Due to popular demand, I have decided to continue this story. (I was thinking about it anyway lol) Thank you thank you thank you all for your support and reviews!!! WOW. Now, I want to warn you that this ch is definitely romancy, and that this is definitely going to end up being a Carlos/Alice fic. They are one of the few couples that I really like and want to write about. Please be aware that I have written very little romance, and am doing the best I can here. If you have suggestions, please please please let me know! Thanks!

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By the time he found the room she was in, he had lost track of time. How long he had been traversing these tunnels was anyone's guess. Heck, how long he had been 'dead' was debatable too, now that he thought about it.

Alice was seated at the one intact table in the middle of another destroyed room, doing something on the single remaining source of light, a computer. Carlos was starting to think that if he ever saw a 'normal' room again, he just might need to be put away. Destruction had become the norm.

Upon his entry, Alice snapped her head up, standing and drawing a gun with lightning speed, aiming it at Carlos' head. He stopped short, putting his hands up placatingly.

"Alice," He tried gently. "Alice, it's me, Carlos."

"I don't believe you. Who are you really?" She demanded, her voice commanding and carefully devoid of emotion.

"It's me. I swear." He said, trying to think of a way to prove it to her. If he didn't think fast he'd have to find out if he could survive a head shot too. It didn't sound promising.

"Prove it." She spat, still holding the gun level.

"I was- hoping you wouldn't say that." He sighed, dropping his head as he thought. "I don't know, uh- Ok. We first met when we were trapped in Raccoon city, trying to find Angela. You gave me the cure shortly afterwards from her lunchbox."

Alice bit her lip, still holding the gun steady.

"Look, you can believe me or you can't, just know I'm not going to attack you, so you can put the gun down." He said, dropping his hands.

Alice inched forward, still holding her gun, and reached a hand up to touch his face. She moved down his cheek to his jaw, then his throat. It was definitely Carlos, and he was no zombie. She lowered the gun, suddenly jumping on him in a tight hug. He returned it, burying his face in her shoulder.

After a moment they pulled apart, Carlos waiting for her to speak.

"But what happened, we saw the explosion……."

"I know. I can't figure it out either. My only thought is that somehow I've bonded with the T virus like you did. There is no other explanation. I'm stronger, faster, and I seem to be very difficult to kill." He finished with a chuckle.

"But, you were bitten." Alice said, puzzled. "The virus in you isn't a pure strain, you should be one of them."

"I know, but can you think of anything else?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No, I can't." She paused, then continued. "How did you find me by the way?"

"I just knew you were here. Must be the virus again." He shrugged.

"Strange that I didn't sense you coming." She commented to herself.

"How long was I gone? And why didn't you go with the others?" He questioned, following her back to her computer.

"I just got back earlier this evening, but I never went with them in the first place. I had unfinished business here. You've been supposed dead for five months." She said, jabbing in his direction with her gun as she sat down to type something into the computer.

"Wow, that long huh?"

"Yea, where did you wake up?" She asked, turning her attention back on him while the computer loaded.

"Right outside."

She stopped short. "But that's impossible. You should have been devoured."

"Apparently they don't think I smell good anymore."

"They don't attack you?" She sounded almost indignant.

"No. I guess I smell like them to them. Not the most comforting thought, but whatever works." he grinned.

"That could have been useful a while back."

"Yea, tell me about it. So what have you been doing all this time?"

"I've been destroying umbrella once and for all."

Carlos looked skeptical. "Single handedly?"

"No, but it's still just been me."

Now he was completely confused. "Wha-"

"Come see." She leaned over her computer, tapping a button. Carlos moved to stand behind her, peering at the bright screen.

"Alice, meet Carlos." Alice said, speaking to the screen.

On it, was a picture of herself. No, not a picture, a video.

"Hello Carlos." It said, the same soldier like voice coming from the speaker that he was used to.

"Uh- hello. Alice, do you care to explain?" He asked, tuning his head to look at the one in the room with him.

"The scientists that lived down here had huge stores of my DNA. They've been making clones. And my clones are just as ticked at Umbrella as I am."

Carlos whistled. "They were in for a surprise. How many are there?"

"Including me? Five hundred. Or there used to be, quite a few didn't make it." She sounded sad.

"So why aren't you with them now?"

"They went their own way, pretty much doing what we used to do with Claire's convoy. I came back here to satellite for any more occupied bases. Looks like I got them all."

"Wow. Sounds like I missed one heck of a party."

"Yea, too bad huh? Don't worry, there are still plenty of zombies to pick off."

Carlos chuckled, sitting in the chair next to her. "Why don't you join them up in Alaska now? We could find you a way up, and you'd be safe."

Alice's head snapped up, a dangerous anger boiling in her eyes. "No. They're safer without me, and what would ever make you think I would leave you here?!" Her voice was as stabbing as her eyes, and Carlos drew back as if he'd been slapped.

"Where did you get that I was going to stay?"

Alice gave him a venomous glare, talking through her teeth. "You don't think I missed the 'you'd' part of that sentence, did you?"

"But I'm safe. They won't come after me! I can pick them off and survive much easier than you can, even with your powers, eventually they will kill you. There are simply too many." He said, trying to reason with her.

Praying she would listen.

"What and now you're invincible?" She asked, now in a quiet tone that almost mocked him.

"No- but-"

"They're not stupid, Carlos!" She shouted, continuing before he could argue that fact. "They may be limited, but the most ingrained, base instinct anything has is self preservation. Once you attack they will come after you. And you won't survive." She finished quietly, dropping her head, a tear threatening to spill over.

"Alice." He called quietly. "No one lives forever." He lifted her chin with his hand, bringing her ice blue eyes on level with his dark ones.

"But I all ready lost you once." She whispered, the tear trickling down her cheek and onto his hand.

Carlos couldn't take the distance anymore. He pulled her into his arms, holding her tight against his chest. "All right." he sighed "I'll stay with you. No matter what you choose."

Alice let out a shaky breath, resting her cheek against Carlos' warm body, leaning her head on his collar bone. She had been living in the desert for years, but somehow she felt like she was just now thawing from an intense cold.

Almost hesitantly, she brought her hand up to rest on his throat, needing to feel the pulse beneath his skin. She had had dreams similar to this when he was gone; she had to know this was real.

That he wasn't going to become the monster of her nightmares.

He merely moved his head to rest on hers, exposing the thick artery beneath her hand, the steady pulse flowing against her fingers reassuringly.

Slowly, she moved her hand from his neck to his hair, running her fingers through the thick, dusty locks, lifting her head up to look him in the face the moment before their lips met.

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Same drill! Reviews loved to bits, flames used to combat lickers, thanks!!!


	3. Recapture

Kk, I know this is a short ch, but it's important and I've been pretty stressed out lately. So sorry, but I hope you enjoy it anyway =)

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"Sir! We just had another huge wave spike on the radar, and it isn't project Alice's signature this time!"

Captain Towns walked towards the screen, squinting at it as he leaned forward. "That's impossible."

"Apparently it's not, this radar is top notch!"

Towns scowled. "How could it pick up anything we haven't programmed??"

"I don't know. Maybe it's similar to Alice."

"It _is_ mainly DNA powered." He muttered, rubbing his chin. This was either very bad, or very good news. It depended on too many variables. He needed to see the cause of the spike for himself.

"Keep me informed, and find out anything you can about the cause of the- disturbance. Don't loose it." He finished in a deadly tone.

The soldier promptly sat up straighter and directed all his attention on the screen.

Carlos drove through the sandstorm, trying to find a place to pull off for shelter. If they didn't shield the windshield soon it would be too scratched to see through. Alice was in the passenger seat, her sharp eyes scanning the area for any sign of anything useful.

Three hours after sunrise they had left the shelter of the base to move to the next one, needing to re-supply. The base that had housed the clones had been stripped clean. Carlos could use new armor, and he had very little ammo left. If they ran into zombies, it was darn lucky that they would only be after one of them. As for food, they had nothing but a little water.

But this sandstorm was killer. It was near impossible to see, and it was literally ripping the truck apart piece by piece. Even with the extra armor.

"There!" Alice pointed to a dilapidated gas station off to the right. "If we go to the right drive through we'll almost be all the way out of it."

Carlos directed the car over, parking where she directed. He sat back, thinking about grazing the place for supplies, but he recognized it from before. They had stripped it long ago.

"Well dear, we've stopped for directions. Happy?" He teased, rolling his head over to look at Alice.

She laughed. "Oh yes. Let's ask the locals."

"So how far until the base?"

"It'll take us around a day of straight driving to get us there. We better hope this storm doesn't last longer than a few hours."

Carlos sighed. "Tell me about it."

Alice lay her head back, gazing absently out the window.

Carlos watched her, wondering what she was thinking. She seemed so deep in thought.

Suddenly she buckled over, letting out a cry as she grabbed her head, gritting her teeth.

"Alice!" Carlos bolted over to her, holding her shoulders. "Alice, look at me!" He commanded, deeply worried. "What is it?"

Alice looked up at him, her face twisted with pain. Her words came out choked. "They- found- unhhhhhhh" She sighed, passing out, slumping against Carlos' shoulder.

Carlos folded her against the seat, lowering her gently to the point where she would be most protected. Cautiously, he drew his gun, looking around, his senses on high alert.

Hearing movement behind him, he whipped around, firing off two shots through the window. It shattered, giving way to a dull thump as a body hit the ground. Carlos peered through the wire mesh still intact over the window frame to see not a zombie, but a fully equipped umbrella member. Before he could whip around to attack the other soldier behind the car, he felt a sharp pain in his neck. His gun slipped from his now weak hand, and he slumped over, completely unconscious.

Outside, the sniper sent his message back to base. "Targets acquired sir."


	4. Resident Rarity

Hello my faithfull followers! I hope you were'nt going too crazy, and thanks sooooooooo much for all the reviews and support!!! I love it!!! This story would have gone NO WHERE if it weren't for your encouragement, so thanks so much and enjoy!

P.S. This is probably obvious, but Dr. Maverick was my own creation =)

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Dr. Maverick strode down the well lit halls of the last functioning base of the umbrella corporation.

The last, and largest. With their current population of scientists and their families they could live for over two hundred years without ever needing to surface.

Like any of them would last that long anyway. He thought bitterly, nodding to one of his superiors out of habit as he passed them on his way to his latest subject.

Pressing his finger to a pad near the lab door, Maverick glanced at his newest lab rat through the thick glass as the doors slid open. A dark haired man, not over forty, was laying mostly naked on the table, deeply unconscious. His armor and weapons had been confiscated and replaced by a pair of white 'lab pants' and a blanket.

Well, it was more than he was used to seeing on his subjects.

Glancing at his clipboard, Maverick scanned the 'nurse's' notes. "Carlos Oliveira, 33, unconscious since 1200 hrs today. Type B tranquilizer administered into neck through dart….." He muttered, scanning the brief notes. What kind of nurse writes in military speak anyway?

Sighing as he saw that Carlos had been left with no monitors what so ever, and no adjustment to the cell temperature for someone with nothing but a very thin blanket and pants, he walked over to the next room to get the equipment cart he needed. Strange that this one was left so unattended. The boss seemed so excited about him.

Back in Carlos' room, he began to adjust temperature, and hook him up to an IV feed. He obviously needed the nutrition. Once the basics were done he went through the routine tests, snorting as he thought of how Umbrella could care less whether their living weapons were comfortable or not. They treated the zombies with more respect.

Pulling the blanket up around Carlos' shoulders and turning the heat up another notch, Maverick left briefly to put his data into the computer, still disgusted as he always was to see a human treated like they were. Every test was purely scientific. If the subject had any flaws it was a huge problem until they were useless. Then they were just zombie fodder.

His mind wandered to why he had joined in this disgusting process in the first place as he robotically added the information to the computer database. He had been one of the few survivors that had been running for his life from a swarm of infested birds when an Umbrella soldier found him and took him into the helicopter. At first he thought that Umbrella might actually care, but he later came to realize that they had been looking for him as he was a know genetic genius and had a masters in several forms of medicine. Well, his mom had always insisted that a good education could save your life. He would never have agreed to the job except it was his life on the line, and somewhere in the back of his mind he tried to convince himself that maybe, just maybe, he could be a break for the poor test subjects.

Coming back to Carlos' room, he began drawing blood samples, setting them aside to take to the lab for testing later. Pulling back an eyelid, he tested Carlos' pupils, finding them to react with superhuman sharpness. That didn't seem right. He was out cold; the drugs should have slowed all of his reactions, automatic or not. Glancing up he noticed that Carlos' heart was picking up as well. Maybe the drugs were wearing off already.

Deciding to take the blood to the lab and get the samples started on processing, Maverick sealed Carlos in his room, deciding to come back when he would just be waking up. He needed to be fully responsive for most of the tests anyway.

Bright lights assaulted Carlos' eyes as he came too, his head throbbing painfully from the effects of the drug. Attempting to open his eyes fully, he suddenly flinched back, pulling up an arm to shield himself from the excruciating brightness. The limb felt very heavy, and a needle pulled painfully against his skin with the sharp movement.

Why did he feel so tired? And where the heck was he?

Rolling his head over to see what the annoying beeping was, Carlos found himself hooked up to a heart monitor and an IV feed. Hospital?

No. There was no such thing anymore. Umbrella. That was the only chance. So why wasn't he all autopsied or anything for having bonded with the T virus?

Maybe they were getting to that.

Suddenly the door slid open to his left and he turned his head that way to see a man in a white lab coat enter. He was not much taller than Carlos, but he was probably a few years older, his hair a dusty blond. He was carrying a clipboard and case of something.

Great. Here comes the needles and scalpels.

"Ahhh, Carlos. I'm glad you're awake. You will probably be slightly groggy for a while, but it will wear off soon. Probably faster than normal in fact, you should have been asleep for quite a while yet. Are you warm enough?"

This was not what Carlos had been expecting. Who was this guy? And why was he acting like someone who cared? Feeling like he was in a dream, he nodded in response to the doctor's question.

"Good. I am Dr. Maverick. I will be overseeing your tests here. Not that you have much choice in the matter, but I hope you won't find me too disagreeable." He said with a hint of humor, almost apologetically.

Wait, how was a real, compassionate, human surviving down here surrounded by all these heartless profiteers? Not like there was any profit to be made anymore but still.

Already feeling his head clearing, Carlos pushed himself into a sitting position, suddenly seeing what the doctor had meant about him being warm enough. He shivered involuntarily.

Maverick noticed and turned the heat up some more, looking apologetic. "Well. The good news is, you have me as your doctor. The bad news is you're stuck here. I'll do everything I can to keep you comfortable, but I'm going to need your cooperation to get the results I need. If you are not honest I won't get their data and they will put someone without a soul on your case, all right?"

Carlos nodded, still trying to figure this one out. Good guys weren't allowed to get breaks, were they? Suddenly finding his head completely clear, one thought pushed out all the others.

Alice? Where was Alice??

"Where is Alice?" He asked, praying there was a real human being to take care of her too.

"She is in the level of the testing wing, on the third floor. Right above us in fact." He said, pointing up. "I'm afraid she is undergoing some re-programming right now. Umbrella didn't like the fact that she was able to break their little mind control toy so easily." He sounded smug. As if he liked very much that someone had thrown Umbrella off their high horse for a moment.

Carlos was alarmed. Re-programming? What did that entail? "Are they hurting her?" He demanded, his body tensing.

"Not yet. But certain doctors in here are not as gentle as I am." He sighed, speaking quietly.

"Is there anyway you can take care of both of us?" He asked, unable to bear the thought of what they might be doing to her.

Maverick shook his head sadly. "I may be valuable to them, but they have already chosen doctors for Alice who have worked on her before. They would never let me switch. If I say anything they would probably remove me from your case on account of 'emotional bonding' with the subject." He finished sarcastically.

Carlos felt a surge of adrenaline coarse through him, and his fists clenched. If this doctor couldn't do anything then he would fight every last one of them off by himself.

Dr. Maverick glanced at the heart monitor and then to Carlos as the beeping spiked. "I know you love her. I heard you mumbling her name even through all that sedative, but you need to relax and cooperate."

Carlos sent him a venomous glare, challenging him to just try and make him.

"Listen." He whispered urgently. "I can help you, both of you, but you have to cooperate first. I can keep tabs on her and give you information whenever possible, but if you don't act like you could care less about her they _will_ pit you against each other that much sooner, and you will never have a chance for escape. I can help you get out. Give me a few weeks and I will help you escape. I hate what they do down here, and would sooner join you than stay with them if it wasn't for the fact that my wife and daughter are stuck here with me. Please, give me time."

Carlos took a few deep breaths, trying to let his anger fevered mind see reason. Even with his and Alice's powers they had a much better chance of seeing each other again if he did what the doctor said. Forcing his hands to relax, he nodded.

"All right. What do you need me to do?"

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Ok, hope you enjoyed, and be happy to know that after this chapter my muse has a MUCH better idea of where this is going =D Reviews are still more than welcome!!!


	5. Reason

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Well, here is the next chapter! Sorry it is short, but I have been distracted because of school and life. Hopefully you all enjoy, as this chapter does explain some interesting things! Thanks for reading and enjoy!

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Four days of testing later and Dr. Maverick was getting agitated. Carlos had been a champ, screaming on command, biting his tongue when need be, telling him the remotest details without a fuss. He had faithfully been returning the favor with news on Alice, but for all he tried the escape plan was going no where and he had almost cracked the code of why Carlos was so empowered.

He had certainly bonded with the virus, and Maverick had a theory as to how. He just needed one more piece of information from Carlos before he would be sure….

Picking up his folder he headed for Carlos' room, a sterile observation room that was far from private. Glass walls were accommodating for study in case Carlos 'hulked out', and video cameras were monitoring 24-7.

"Morning Carlos, I trust you've had your mush already?" Maverick greeted, smiling warmly.

Carlos smiled some. "Yea. Any new theories doc?"

"I think I've solved it if you give me one more piece of information. But first, I am going to warn you that I can only stall for a day more. I am doing everything I can to plan an escape, but we will have an extra hard time once I've cracked your little mystery. Once they know what causes these mutations they will either take you away for programming or have me continue to investigate on how to replicate your situation. I will still be with you regardless, but your chances of escape become very low after tomorrow midnight."

Carlos nodded. "I understand. How's Alice?" A glimmer of fear always came into his eyes when he mentioned her.

"She is resting today. They won't be doing anything with her but monitoring today, but that means that they have finished their programming. We can only hope that she can break it again."

Carlos nodded. "Thank you. Now what was that piece of information that you needed?"

"Right." Maverick glanced down at his clipboard, re assembling his thoughts. "I need to know if Alice ever gave you a blood transfusion or anything similar."

Carlos wrinkled his forehead. "Never a blood transfusion, the most that ever happened was when we bound each other's wounds."

"Open wounds?"

"Yes. Cuts and scratches and sometimes puncture wounds. Why?"

"Did she ever get her blood in your wounds?"

Carlos shrugged. "It's possible. You mind telling me your theory now?"

"I was able to access the files for Alice and compared them with yours." The doctor began. "You blood is the same type as Alice's, as far as regular blood types go that is. On a more fundamental level hers has unstable DNA, which means that she was right on the edge of mutation, she just hadn't crossed it. When the T virus entered her system, it adapted, her body believing the virus to be natural mutation. Your blood, on the other hand, was even _less _stable than hers. This meant that if you had been given a pure strain of the virus you would have mutated further than she has and it probably would have killed you in the process. A bite would have turned you into a more dangerous version of the undead. However, when her blood entered your body, the traces of the virus in her bonded with you, stabilizing your cells to the point where they were set for mutation from any source. Now your blood is completely stable, as it has bonded with the virus you contracted from the bite." He finished, becoming terribly excited despite himself. He had become a genetic scientist for a reason after all.

"So by chance circumstances I am practically invincible?" He asked, admittedly finding the whole situation interesting. He _had_ been wondering how the heck he had survived. It was one question that just wouldn't stop bugging him.

Dr. Maverick nodded. "That's about it. As far as I can tell you have extensive healing abilities, increased strength and stamina, and a good set of eyes. Am I right?"

Carlos nodded, then decided to ask him something else that he'd been wondering. "So can I die anymore? I mean, my heart had stopped and it didn't seem to make much difference."

Maverick sighed, thinking. "With mutation, the initial change is usually quite powerful and drastic, sort of like a power surge before the flow steadies. You probably function normally now. All your tests show that you still need circulation, but with this virus it seems that anything is possible. One thing that should be handy though is that even if you were to get bit again the virus would have no affect on you. You and Alice are both immune."

Carlos smiled. "That should make things go easier." He commented.

"Yes. It will. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some data to input and some plans to draw up. I'll see you tonight." Maverick smiled as he sealed the door. He would get them out. He didn't care how, he would do it.

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So, there it is, me and Maverick are going to go work on the escape plan now- (follows into his lab to get distracted by flashing lights while he does all the work)


	6. Relief

Ok! I am back, and would have been a LOT sooner if hadn't been having tecnicalities!! Grrr. Anywhoo, me an O'l Maverick have finally come up with an escape plan, so hopefully Carlos will be rid of his neighbor soon....... Thank you all for the lovely continued reviews!! My gosh you make me happy!!

devilish477- Thanks so much, your review had me laughing, I'm glad you enjoy so much and the zombie piñata did help!

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Carlos rolled over onto his side for the hundredth time that night, the constant monitoring lights driving him nuts. All he needed was for some sort of incessant noise and he was sure he would snap.

Thump Thump Thump Thump

Great. Somebody had had the bright idea to stash one of their zombie experiments right across from him and now it was stuck against the door, brainlessly walking into the wall before bouncing it's gory head off the glass.

Like some infernal wind up toy. Carlos thought, burying his head under the blanket and absently wondering if Alice had this much trouble.

Alice. No, of course not. She had worse. He chastised himself, biting his lip to quell the pain thinking of her conjured up.

Oh, did he hope she was ok.

"Or as well as can be expected in this hell hole." He muttered bitterly, pulling his head out from under the blanket to glare at the thing across from him.

"I know, terrible company, sorry." Maverick's voice came from the door.

Carlos sat up, surprised. He hadn't even heard the doctor come in.

"Ready to go?" Maverick smiled, obviously quite pleased with himself. He was holding up a straight jacket.

Carlos looked at him skeptically. "How is that" He nodded his head towards the offending piece of clothing "going to help us get out?"

"Ah yes." Maverick directed his gaze on the jacket as well. "Sorry about this, but it's the only way I'm allowed to move 'humanoid subjects' to the testing ground. I have something more comfortable hidden for you there." He said, looking back at Carlos as he explained. "Now get this on, they are expecting you at the grounds in fifteen minutes." He urged, holding the jacket open for Carlos to get in.

"What about Alice?" He inquired while the doctor buckled him into the restraining jacket.

"She's already at the training grounds. I was able to convince the head of research to let me re-introduce you two tonight, so that I can see if either of you need more programming to get rid of any human emotions that may get in the way. I promised if I could test you tonight, I could program you for the final fight test tomorrow, and that I would need to be alone when I watched you, just to remove any variables in the experiment. You will be in separate sections of the arena, separated by a wire barrier. When you get in there, you must act as if you could care less that she is there, you'll have time for talking later." He said in a whispered tone as they walked quickly down the corridors, more experiments following them with their dead eyes.

"Will we really be alone?"

Maverick nodded. "You'll be in a glass room, but the only way they can see you is through video camera, and the closest guards will be two rooms down. That's why we want to bust you out at the last second. The trick will be to take down your escorts when the trial is over and you are taken out simultaneously. You should have enough time to run before the guards can get in the room. You will take the south hallway, and meet me by the water towers on the west side of the facility. I have provisions, guns, and clothing for each of you out there. I also was able to find a set of keys to a military hummer standing close by, so you should be able to get through the hoard crawling behind the fence. Got all that?" He asked hurriedly; they were almost to the testing room.

Carlos nodded. "How is Alice?" his voice sounded anxious despite the plans to get out.

"She is under their control, but I think she is already working to break it. She understood what I told her. Your name seems to work well as a weapon against the programming. I'm hoping you're presence will be enough to break it completely." He whispered in a rush just before the door opened.

They were in a small chamber with a control panel and several video feeds as well as a giant window into the sand filled 'arena'. There were two doors, one on the left leading to Alice's side, and one on the right that Carlos was meant to use. Alice was already on her side of the room, the wiry fence separating her from his side like Maverick had said. Carlos had to bite his tongue to keep from showing any emotion.

Maverick walked him into the room, pushing a button on the control panel to open the door and then letting Carlos out of the straight jacket. Acting slightly frightened, Maverick beat a hasty retreat to the door when his patient was free, closing it soundly behind him.

Carlos turned slowly towards Alice, trying hard to force emotion from his face. She looked healthy, but there was something about her eyes………they were so- distant.

She stood in the center of her side, looking through the gate at Carlos, her mind mechanically analyzing him. It told her he wasn't a threat at the present distance, but when she walked closer, not really knowing why, all analyzing went out of her head and Maverick's instructions came back in a rush. "Carlos." she whispered, catching herself just as a camera focused on her relieve expression.

Carlos slowly approached the fence, trying to remember how two animals who had never seen each other before acted. Alice seemed to have no trouble, but Carlos had a sickening feeling that she wasn't acting. Suddenly she straightened up just slightly, and her eyes cleared, becoming the beautiful ice blue eyes that he knew. And he knew she was alright.

It wasn't long after that they were cleared and were lead out of their rooms. Carlos glanced at Maverick in the same second that Alice did. They tensed minutely and…………….

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Oooo, cliffhanger! Hang in there, and reviews help!!! XD


	7. Retaliate

Hello my Infected people!! (that sounds really funny lol) I am indeed back. Bet you thought I'd quit! HA! You were wrong. I am going to finish this story, it may just take a while. I hope you don't sic all your zombie and rabid crow minions on me, but then you'd never find out what happens!! I am very sorry this took so long, but I'll have you know that it would have been longer if it wasn't for all the wonderful reviews!!! OMGosh!!! I love all your support, and hope you like this chapter as well. If you want to know why I've not written in forever, it's because I am trying very very hard to fulfill my dream of writing an original fantasy novel that will one day get published, and writing my own story has sapped me for all my creativity, leaving little for my fan fic. SORRY!!!! (bows down and begs for forgiveness) Anyway, here is the next chapter, and know however long this takes it WILL be finished eventually! Happy reading! (and reviewing XD)

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Carlos was running so hard his lungs burned, but he didn't care. Alice was right next to him, and they were free.

Well, getting there. The whole facility was on high alert and several guards were hot on their trail.

Like that mattered much. Now that Alice was free of the programming she had full control over her considerable abilities. That spelled trouble for anyone who got in their way. Thankfully, the plan actually worked and they were met with very little opposition.

Breaking the surface into blinding sunlight for the first time in a long time, Carlos gladly welcomed the dry burn now settling in his throat from the parched desert air.

It wasn't long before the two escapees discovered the promised food and clothing, and donned them gratefully, more than happy to be out of the nasty lab clothes they'd been stuck in. Even before all hell broke loose Carlos had seldom been comfortable in less than a uniform equipped for battle.

Strapping the last gun belt with a satisfying click, Carlos began searching through his pockets for the keys to the promised hummer. Finding them in the breast pocket of his vest, he tossed them to Alice who nodded and headed for the vehicle, getting it ready.

They were in the hummer and ready to leave right as Maverick came stumbling out. He was bleeding heavily from his left leg.

Carlos' eyes went wide and he scrambled out of the driver seat to catch him as he collapsed. He coughed, splattering blood on the sand at Carlos' feet.

"What happened?" He asked in a panic, feeling terrible that Maverick had to suffer to get them out. Why hadn't he realized something like this was bound to happen? Because all he'd been able to think about was Alice, that's why.

"They shot me as punishment and sent me out to tell you-" He said quickly, getting stopped mid-sentence by more coughing.

His voice continued as a wheeze. "That if you don't come back they'll shoot my family! I'm so sorry Carlos, I want you free, I want you to just go- you and Alice both." He said, motioning a shaking hand towards where Alice still waited in the hummer. "But my daughter-" He chocked off, faltering. "I've got them into this by my selfishness, now my attempt at redemption may have killed them both!" He moaned, anguish contorting his face and voice. "I shouldn't ask you to come back-"

Carlos held up his hand, silencing him. "If they want us back, we will come. Can you make it back to the door?" Maverick nodded sullenly, guilt plaguing him.

As soon as the doctor was on his way, Alice stepped out of the hummer with a devilish grin on her face. "I can't read your mind Carlos, but I know that face."

Carlos grinned back. "No one said we had to come quietly."

It was only a moment later that Carlos was back inside the bowls of the beast, and hating every minute of it. The only difference was that this time he and Alice were in control. The moment they passed a video screen, they were met with a live broadcast from the head of Umbrella.

Alice stopped abruptly, halting Carlos by grabbing his sleeve. "Look."

The official that glared at them from the glass looked far to pleased with himself. "Hello my pets."

Carlos felt a surge of indignant anger, but Alice just stared at the screen with a defiant glare. "What do you want?"

"I simply want you to put down you weapons, kneel on the ground, and submit. I know you care about the excuse for a geneticist's family, and as long as you two are loose I will be holding his wife and daughter at gunpoint." The camera panned around to show a terrified girl, probably no older than four, and her mother, sobbing as she was held away from her child. The camera flickered back to the official. "We'll kill the girl first, of course. Can you think of any worse fate than for a mother seeing her child die in front of her?" His voice was dripping with false sympathy. "Oh!" He chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Wait, I know a worse one!" He leaned forward slightly, his eyes locking with both Carlos' and Alice's. "To see her daughter eaten alive."

Almost on cue, the angry snarl of a licker reverberated through the speakers, and the camera responded accordingly to show the caged creature pawing and sliming its barbed tongue against the glass.

"If you want me to let the girl and her mother go, and give the father proper medical attention, I want you to remove all your weapons, and go to room 1342 and wait. Oh and Alice? Don't bother trying to use your mental powers, this room is shielded. One wrong move, and this licker gets what he wants." The screen flickered blank with an electrical click.

Carlos threw down his weapons so hard one of them cracked and there was a considerable dent in the floor.

Alice had responded similarly, although the television had also suffered and exploded in compliance with her rage.

"We can't let them get away with this." She said through grit teeth.

"No. But at the moment, I don't have much of a plan. Do you?" Carlos asked, his voice harsher than he had meant. Another television down the hall exploded into a shower of sparks and metal, and the three cells directly across from Carlos shattered.

Alice jumped and looked at Carlos in amazement. "What?" He demanded, still angry.

"You did that Carlos. I didn't do anything."

Carlos' eyes widened. "I- but- you- didn't?"

She shook her head. "I think we just got that plan." She smiled and thumped him on the chest before heading towards the room they'd been told to go to.

Back in the control room, the head of umbrella cursed. If only they'd had time to implant a controlling chip in Carlos as well…….. He cursed again, standing and walking over to where the licker still thrashed, going insane at the sound of fresh food just beyond its reach. If Carlos had anything like Alice's psychic powers they were all in trouble. They had no defense against his brainwaves. Glancing down at his precious captive, he smiled grimly. All he could do was kill Carlos before he could kill them.

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I know, I know, you all hate me and want me to die. Review? (runs and hides behind Carlos)


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